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Ecocentric Blog ]

For years, North Carolina communities have complained that industrial pork farms pollute their rivers and streams and lower quality of life in the area, but the state has all but ignored their complaints. The EPA is now conducting an investigation of the state's civil rights infringements that could change the game.

It's cold and snowy out. You haven't seen the sun for days. "Parks and Recreation" has ended. You know what that means? It's the perfect time to "Treat Yourself"! Here are a few relaxing suggestions to help you wash those winter blues away - sustainably.

"Systemic changes are needed to disrupt the current horrific state of industrial farming and food system. Food needs to be efficient and enjoyable again." Meet one of this year's TEDxManhattan speakers, Shen Tong. An entrepreneur and founder of Food-X, Shen will discuss the skills and funding needed to help disruptive food innovators create lasting change in our food system.

Meet Marcel Van Ooyen, executive director of GrowNYC, who will speak about "the 99% food problem" at this year's TEDxManhattan event in March. GrowNYC's is working to scale up local food distribution to make local less niche, more mainstream, by helping "family farmers to access wholesale distribution channels that make up 99% of the food that enters New York City."

Butter and lard, two of the most prevalent fats used cooking since the domestication of sheep, goats, cattle and pigs thousands of years ago, are unmatched in flavor and texture. It's actually super easy to make your own butter, and play around with lard for delicious results at home!

For years, North Carolina communities have complained that industrial pork farms pollute their rivers and streams and lower quality of life in the area, but the state has all but ignored their complaints. The EPA is now conducting an investigation of the state's civil rights infringements that could change the game.

It's cold and snowy out. You haven't seen the sun for days. "Parks and Recreation" has ended. You know what that means? It's the perfect time to "Treat Yourself"! Here are a few relaxing suggestions to help you wash those winter blues away - sustainably.

The onomatopoeia for this week's EcoNews is "gulp." Why? Because we like gulping water and - gulp - we're a little scared. A new study finds that ocean acidification will negatively impact coastal communities' economies. Plus, hog CAFOs are poisoning the water. One positive: Ohio is moving to protect Lake Erie from more toxic algae.

"Systemic changes are needed to disrupt the current horrific state of industrial farming and food system. Food needs to be efficient and enjoyable again." Meet one of this year's TEDxManhattan speakers, Shen Tong. An entrepreneur and founder of Food-X, Shen will discuss the skills and funding needed to help disruptive food innovators create lasting change in our food system.

Meet Marcel Van Ooyen, executive director of GrowNYC, who will speak about "the 99% food problem" at this year's TEDxManhattan event in March. GrowNYC's is working to scale up local food distribution to make local less niche, more mainstream, by helping "family farmers to access wholesale distribution channels that make up 99% of the food that enters New York City."

Butter and lard, two of the most prevalent fats used cooking since the domestication of sheep, goats, cattle and pigs thousands of years ago, are unmatched in flavor and texture. It's actually super easy to make your own butter, and play around with lard for delicious results at home!

New England is in the middle of an historically snowy winter, and cities and towns are running out of room to store all of their plowed snow. Is dumping that snow into the ocean a good option, or is it another example of sweeping pollution out of sight and out of mind?

Imagine all of that snow in its thawed form - water - and you appreciate the pickle New England's in. Elsewhere in Eco News, there are 970 million fewer monarch butterflies than there were 20 years ago (thanks Monsanto!) but we can help bring them back. The same goes for improving the scene for solar in the Sunshine State. Get inspired to make the world a better place!

"(W)hen you are confronting entrenched power, the legal wins are often preceded by defeats and can come at great personal expense to those on the front lines. This is certainly true in the food movement, which is still in its nascent stages." 2015 TEDxMenhattan speaker Michele Merkel is an environmental law advocate at Food & Water Watch.

Meet Kendra Kimbirauskas, CEO of the Socially Responsible Agricultural Project (SRAP). As one of this year's TEDxManhattan speakers, Kendra will address why, despite a more educated consumer audience, the US is experiencing unprecedented growth of factory farms in rural communities. Plus, she offers five actions you can take if a factory farm comes to your area.

Three billion people rely upon rice as their staple food, and it is the primary source of one quarter of the world's per capita energy needs. Rice's captivating history is tied to ancient global trade routes and, eventually, to the slave trade. Read more about and learn how to cook this fascinating grain!

The Lunar New Year's Eve dinner is the equivalent of Christmas Eve dinner. Called "Wei Lu," (圍爐) family reunion, and everyone makes a great effort to return home for the feast and related festivities. The most common dining style for this traditional meal is the Hotpot, or Firepot (火鍋).

Whether it's corporations, government departments or international agencies, this week was full of big news from big places. We're looking at Monsanto's marketing, the International Energy Agency's forecast, Dow's pesticides, the USDA's meat lab and who should clean up Big Ag's messes. Get all the updates you need with this week's EcoNews.

"As food and nutrition confusion abounds, many are paralyzed not knowing who to trust or what to do. With a little inspiration and practical education, shifting is possible." Meet one of this year's TEDxManhattan speakers, Stephanie Sacks, a culinary nutritionist and author of the new book What The Fork Are You Eating?

"Transitioning an abandoned rooftop into a beautiful urban space - one that nourishes the mind, the body, and the soul of our hospital staff is good medicine." As a speaker at this year's TEDxManhattan, Robert Graham will explain the value of integrating traditional medicine's respect for food, cooking and farming with modern medicine.